


Adventures with Avengers

by MisguidedFeelingsofaDreamWeaver30



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1, Adopted Siblings, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Flashbacks, Friendship to Love, Gen, Multi, Romantic love, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 10:46:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15794940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisguidedFeelingsofaDreamWeaver30/pseuds/MisguidedFeelingsofaDreamWeaver30
Summary: One shots and headcanons starring you and the Avengers.





	Adventures with Avengers

**Author's Note:**

> Or, five times Bucky Barnes remembers you.

“Joey.” You turn around, your brother’s voice calling you. You walk away from your post at the door, making your way towards him.

“Choppers are still on the lookout. No suspicion so far, however,” you report. He nods, before regarding you carefully.

“Do you think you can do this?” he asks you, knowing how hard this is for you. You give him a small smile.

“I’m going to have to face him sooner or later.” Your eyes go to the door. Though he is hidden from sight, you know that he is there. And the mere knowledge scares you so much that your body feels so heavy, chaining you to the floor. But the heat that flows through you is calling you to action, to put one foot in front of the other.

You take a deep breath and let it out slowly like how Sam taught you. You give Steve a small smile before making your way into the room.

Sam gives you a nod before exiting. You approach the man sitting in the corner, who lifts his head. You search his eyes for some sort of recognition, but you find none. His forehead furrows as he looks at you, trying to place where he has seen you before.

“Who are you?” he finally croaks out.

“I’m Joey.” That is all you can let yourself say.

* * *

**I.** **Touch**

****It’s after everyone on the Raft had been broken out. Being the only nurse on board, you have taken on the task of patching everyone up.

After tending to Wanda, you make your way over to Steve. “Just like old times, huh?” you mumble, wiping the blood from his forehead.

Steve dryly chuckles. “At least I heal faster this time around.” You shake your head as you finish cleaning his wounds, which are already healing thanks to the super soldier serum.

“Get some rest,” you tell him. Steve glances at a point behind him, and you follow his line of vision. You bite your lip but give him a reassuring squeeze before making your way over to Bucky.

Bucky is staring blankly at a spot across from him, a frown etched on his face. You approach him slowly. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got the crap kicked out of me,” he retorts emotionlessly. You stay silent as you kneel in front of him, already reaching out for the first aid kit as you do. You glance up, surveying his face for injuries, noting the massive bleeding from his nose, which you attend to first. Unconsciously, your eyes slip down to his lips, which have been split. Blood is dribbles from the open wound, leaving a trail down his chin.

You swallow thickly, a flood of memories beginning to worm their way to the surface. Taking a cotton swab, you gently cup Bucky’s chin, your thumb just under his lower lip, steadying it so you can clean the blood.

Unbeknownst to you, your touch awakens something in Bucky. A spark erupts in his head, and his vision retreats inward.

_“Who was it this time?” Bucky hears you question Steve, sounding as angry as they expected you to be. But it’s better to be on the receiving end of your anger than either of their ma’s._

_“Oliver Rivers. He was bullying Jeff Smith for being top of the class,” was Steve’s answer, his voice more nasal than usual. Bucky catches a glimpse of Steve pinching his nose before he sees you making your way towards him, cotton buds in hand._

_You crouch down in front of him, cupping his chin as you inspect his wounds. Like Steve, he hadn’t escaped the fight unscathed. Thanks to Oliver and cronies, Bucky is now the proud owner of a split lip and a shiner._

_“First Steve, now you? Why must I be the one to patch you up?” You direct this question at him, that ever-present spark in your eyes Bucky admires._

_“Because you’re my favorite nurse sweetheart,” Bucky answers readily, laying on the charm that has had many of the dames in the schoolyard swooning. Your expression remains unchanged, however._

_“Sweetheart, huh? Is that what you’re calling all the girls these days?” You continue cleaning his bleeding lip, your forehead crinkling in concentration as you do so. He had always known you to take your work seriously._

_It does not take long for you to finish cleaning his lip but to his surprise, you don’t let go of his chin. He soon becomes aware of how soft your hand is on his skin and the warmth pulsing from the spot is enough to send his heart running faster than a racehorse._

_Unconsciously, a force seems to be pulling you closer to him, and that same force is pushing him as well. Momentarily, he forgets that Steve is also in the room as your face moves closer to his. The fact that he has an injury on his lip prompts him to cheekily comment “Kiss it better.”_

_His statement snaps you out of your mutual trance, and he watches your expression harden once more, leaving him with a feeling of letdown in his chest._

_You stand up and march away, getting an ice pack for Steve, who looks like he is somewhere between frowning in disapproval and smiling in amusement. You hand him some ice for his nose before going to Bucky and giving him some for his eye and his lip, giving him brief instructions before marching off to another part of the apartment._

_“Sweetheart?” Steve questions his best friend when you leave._

_“It works with other girls.”_

_Steve rolls his eyes. “My sister’s not most girls,” he reminds him. Bucky looks in the direction you left. “That she is,” he concedes._

Bucky is jolted from his reminiscing when you announce that you are finished. You silently hand him an icepack before you leave. He does not question you about the memory.  

* * *

**II.** **Hold**

You wait patiently for Steve to step out of the room they had set up for Bucky’s cryofreeze. Convinced that he is too dangerous to remain, Bucky decided to be refrozen until they could reverse what HYDRA had done to him. A wave of protests had risen at that, but you did what you’ve been doing since you arrived in the 21st century: you bit your lip and did your duty. You let him go once, you can do it again. Or at least, that is what you tell yourself as Steve nods at you, letting you know it is your turn to say goodbye.

You stroll into the room, taking in Bucky dressed all in white, the stub on his left side wrapped in a black cloth. His eyes are a bit warmer as he looks at you. He gives you a small, friendly uneasy smile, letting you know it’s okay to approach.

“Joey,” he says.

“Bucky,” you respond. You turn to look at the container he is about to be placed in. “Is this really what you want?”

“It’s my only option. Got to do my part to save the world, right?” His voice turns sarcastic at the latter statement. Your lips turn up slightly at that, taking consolation in knowing that a little bit of your Bucky is peeking through.

“It’s what you always tried to do,” you tell him. Bucky looks down, ashamed that he can’t place you in his memories. Despite the flashback a few days ago, no other memories of you had cropped up. He only had one recollection to go by and to make any other assumptions would be a leap.

You reach out a hand to him, silently asking him permission to touch him, to give him a proper goodbye. The corner of his lips quirks up, and that is enough for you to wrap your arms around him as his flesh hand comes to hold your waist and you bury your head in his shoulder. At this, Bucky is suddenly transported somewhere else, specifically an old neighborhood in 1940’s Brooklyn.

_After bidding Steve goodbye, Bucky set out looking for you. You and he aren’t exactly on speaking terms (and he still does not understand why), but that does not stop him from worrying about you._

_Thunder rumbles from above and Bucky curses, having forgotten to grab an umbrella. Bucky hikes his jacket upwards, letting the top half shield him from the rain as he made his way to his car. He shot through the roads, speeding towards the cemetery. Soon, he spots a lone figure standing there, paying no heed to the storm around her._

_“Damn it, Joey.” He exits the car, making his way towards you, the rain soaking through his clothes._

_Soon, he is close enough to make out your expression. He pushes the hair out of his eyes, getting a clearer view of your red eyes and the river running down your cheeks, the rain and the tears indistinguishable from one another. Your eyes are devoid of that moxie he knew you to possess, and that had been missing in his life for the past year. Your body is hunched, as if the fight and the confidence have been drained out of you, leaving you a shell of disbelief and sadness at losing someone you held dear._

_“Joey,” Bucky repeats, this time placing himself in front of you, his hands on your shoulders, looking dead straight into your eyes._

_Slowly, he watches as your head lifts and your eyes blink, clearing away whatever fog had clouded them before. “B-Bucky?” You then notice the rain around you. “What are you doing here? You’re going to catch a cold!”_

_Despite the sombre occasion, Bucky finds himself laughing. Of all the things that worry you, it’s him? You are the one who has a higher chance of hypothermia yet here you are, concerned for his well-being. “Joey, we have to go back. Steve’s worried about you! So am I!”_

_You shake your head fervently, stepping away from his hold “No. Buck, I can’t! I just can’t go back!”_

_“Why not? You can’t stay out here in the rain forever!”_

_You narrow your eyes. “You’d be surprised.”_

_Bucky shakes his head. “Damn it, Joey, why? Why can’t you go back? What is so bad about going back home?” He enunciates each word, and your face scrunches up as you shout at him, “BECAUSE I’M AN ORPHAN AGAIN!”_

_A clap of thunder shakes the sky, but Bucky pays no heed as he listens to you let loose. “Bucky, unlike you and Steve, I never knew my birth mother. She died before I could even learn her name! Dad did the best he could, but then he had to go off to war and…and I had nowhere else to go!” Your eyes slide to the grave containing Sarah’s name._

_“Sarah…Sarah took me in when I had no one. She’s the one who braided my hair every morning before school. She’s the one who taught me how to take care of Steve. She’s the one who would tuck me in at night and make me feel as if nothing in the world could harm me!” And with that, you bury your head in your hands, the sobs interspersing with the sound of the rain all around. “And now she’s gone,” you whisper brokenly._

_Bucky approaches you once more, slowly wrapping an arm around you as you continued to cry. He feels two arms snake around his torso, and he strokes your hair, pressing a small kiss on your scalp._

_Soon, your sobs begin to lessen in frequency. Bucky then slowly leads you back to the car, opening the door for you and helping you in before making his way to the driver’s seat. He tenderly brushes the wet hair away from your face before starting the engine and bringing you home._

“Mr. Barnes,” a voice says, and he turns to see one of the lab technicians nodding at him. “It is time.” Bucky glances one more time at you and Steve, his eyes never leaving yours for a second as the ice surrounds him, wrapping him in its cold embrace.

* * *

**III.** **Whisper**

“He’s awake,” is the voice that comes from the cell in Steve’s hand. He runs a hand through his now longer hair. You gasp, your hand reaching to cover your mouth. You embrace Steve, who squeezes you as he swings you around, keeping a hold on the phone.  

“Steve, I can’t believe this. He’s really awake.” You release your hold on him as he smiles, a big genuine one that made rare appearances since you had been on the lam.

“Would you like me to arrange transportation for you to join us in Wakanda?” T’Challa asks. You and Steve share a glance. You raise an eyebrow, silently questioning Steve what the next step would be. His mouth quirks up a little, followed by a nod.

“We would like that, Your Highness. Joey will be waiting.” Your mouth drops open just as your brother ends the call.

“What? Steve, you’re not going with me?” Shock does not even begin to cover how you feel about his decision.

“I can’t. Someone needs to stay here and look after the team. Besides—” he lays his hand on your cheek, “—you guys have waited too long to see each other.”

“That goes for you too. Bucky’s a big part of your life, even bigger than mine.”

“Joey.” Steve’s hand comes to rest on your shoulder. “Whatever Bucky and I have to say to each other was said long ago. You and him, you’ve never even had that chance.” You look up at him: Steve Rogers, the man you had stayed beside for almost 80 years, your big brother, and link to a past that had all but faded, is urging you to leave him.

“Take it.” Steve presses a kiss to your forehead. You clasp him once more, as you have no idea if you’ll even see him again. “Thank you,” you mutter.

“What are brothers for?”

The next day, you are on a jet bound for Wakanda, your foot tapping impatiently against the floor. What was Bucky like now? Was he the same before he was brainwashed? Was he a whole new person? Or was it a combination of both? Did he finally remember? And how much?

The jet jolts as it lands down on the platform located on the outskirts of a small village. You rise, and the bay door descends, revealing a young African girl with long braided hair and in an outfit of white. “Joey Rogers?”

“Yes. And you must be…”

“Shuri. T’Challa is my brother.”

Your eyes widen at this revelation. “Am I supposed to curtsy or…”

She chuckles. “We don’t do that here. Come, someone is expecting you.”

You follow her, and she leads you to a lake that is so clear, that its surroundings are perfectly reflected on its surface. The high-pitched laughter echoing around indicates the presence of children and the landscape is dotted with small huts and a few goats absentmindedly chewing on grass.

But the central part of this landscape is a man dressed in an orange robe, a blue cloth coming to cover the left stub that once contained a metal arm. His hair is longer, tied back to keep it out of his eyes and his stubble has become a beard. You call out his name.  

At the sound of his name, he turns to look at you, his eyes widening in surprise as he takes you in. Your hair is now a different color, and your face is harsher, more worn. But it’s still you.

He walks forward, stopping within inches of you. He reaches his hand out, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, gently tracing its outline before cradling your cheek. Your eyes close in response, his touch a boon.

“Bucky,” you say once more, your voice coming out in a breathy whisper, unknowingly triggering a moment when you once said his name just like that.

_Bucky had already said goodbye to Steve and had one last night of fun and dancing. But there was one more thing he had to do before tomorrow. He knocked on the door and immediately, he was greeted with the sight of your face, which lit up in surprise as you surveyed him._

_“Bucky? What are you doing here?” You step out onto the walkway, closing the door behind you. You tighten the dressing gown around you._

_“Couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to my best girl.”_

_“You say goodbye to your ma then?” A smirk is present on your mouth._

_Bucky shakes your head at you in disbelief. “You know who I mean, Joey.” No matter how many times he called you that, you were always quick to deny it. Many times, it was shot down jokingly, but he wished that just this once, you’d take it seriously. Bucky almost laughs at the irony: the girl he’s closest to happens to be the one resistant to his charisma._

_“Why do you keep doing this doll? You know I mean it when I say it.”_

_“How can I?” You shrug. “You’ve been with many girls before. Forgive me if it makes it a little hard to believe.”_

_“You’ve known me since we were kids. If anyone deserves that title, it’s you.”_

_“What about your sisters?” You riposte, the smug smile widening._

_“Damn, Joey, you are stubborn.” He takes off his hat, raking a hand through his hair._

_“Look at the pot calling the kettle black.” You say, shivering a little in the cold night air, your voice light and playful._

_“I’m trying to say that I’ll miss you,” he says, the indulgence of your jokes gone from his tone. Thankfully, you don’t poke fun at his admission. Your smirk morphs into a small, sad smile, indicating the bittersweetness of the moment._

_“Take care of Steve,” he reminds you. You nod._

_“You know I always do. Take care of yourself. I’m not gonna be there to patch you up this time around.” You poke his chest hard, and Bucky lets out a small chortle at your attempt of intimidation._

_“Don’t worry doll. I’m always careful.” You roll your eyes at his cocky tone before coming in and embracing him one last time, resting your head on his shoulder and your arms around his neck and he automatically squeezes you, pulling you closer if possible._

_A moment passes. Possibly two._

_You lift your head from his shoulder, and he kisses your forehead as you move your head to face him, and he finds himself nose to nose with you. His mouth goes dry, having never been in such proximity with you before. Your hand lifts to nestle in his hair, tenderly sifting through it. His mouth parts slightly at your touch and your breath fans his chin._

_“Bucky,” you whisper sweetly, and his eyes meet your brown orbs, and he can’t look away. Your mouth opens, and he wonders what you are going to say._

_“I…I l–…I’d l-love it if you came back home in one piece.” Your hands fall away, and he releases you from his embrace._

_“Gonna do my best.” He salutes you before leaving you alone, trying to ignore the gnawing in his chest as if he’s been deprived of something._

“Bucky? Are you alright?” You ask. He blinks as if he is seeing his surroundings for the first time.

“Yeah, doll. I’m fine.” A small smile appears on your face at the old nickname.

“What?” he asks.

“Nothing.” But the fact that your smile stays on your face leaves Bucky with the feeling he’s one step closer to unravelling just how much you mean to him.

* * *

**IV.** **Kiss**

Ever since you had gone to stay in Wakanda, you and Bucky have been getting to know each other all over again. Despite you wishing that he remembered you and him wanting to understand the relationship you once shared, you and he had come to realize that you two were not the same people from the 40’s.

In bits and pieces, he told you about his time in HYDRA: the torture he endured, how his mind was wiped every night, leaving a hollowness that begged to be filled, and his time as a fugitive spent trying to find himself once more.

“And what did you find?” you asked him one night, sitting by the fire in his small hut. Your hand is in his, rubbing small patterns into his skin.

The corners of his mouth lifted a little before turning down as quickly as it came. “I’m still looking,” he confessed.

Many nights are spent by the lake, sitting in silence. It’s Bucky’s favourite part of the day because for once, the world is quiet: no wars to be fought, no missions that demanded his attention, and no one to disparage him for what HYDRA made him. It’s also in at nighttime that he is a little braver. Every time, he’d reach out for you. You’d immediately reciprocate, wrapping your hand around his, giving it a squeeze. Sometimes, he’d lay his head on your shoulder, and you’d gently stroke his hair. One time, he had wrapped his arm around you. Under his touch, he felt you tense in surprise, before immediately relaxing and letting him hold you.  

Days are spent with the children, and it’s the one time Bucky looks so carefree. The children love him, often pulling him into their games or babbling about their day. Occasionally, you’d join them, but you preferred to watch from afar, taking comfort in the happiness exuding from him, the carefree attitude and the innocence bringing out a rare side of him.

It is a peaceful life: one you both love. But it is not to last.

Another battle is on the horizon, more significant than anything everyone anticipated: Thanos and his goal of obtaining all six Infinity Stones. It is cause for a reunion between Bucky, you, and Steve. Though happy to have your two favorite men in the same place, it was replaced with gut clenching, heart pounding, leg melting worry. The stakes were higher than ever before, and you were unsure of how to face it.

You were tasked with staying behind to tend to the injured and any who needed help. But that did not mean you are not going to send Bucky and Steve off without a proper goodbye.

“Just…be careful. You don’t have to beat up every bad guy that comes your way.” You enfold Steve in your arms, or as much of him as you can.

“You know me better than that,” he tells you. “I love you Joey.”

“I love you, Steve. I’m really grateful to have you as a brother,” you tell him. You feel Steve smile into your hair. He leaves a kiss on that spot and gives you a squeeze before exiting the room.

Bucky comes forward, his new arm glinting in the light. For a while, neither of you say a word, choosing instead to look at each other, drinking in the sight of the person in front of you as it may be the last time you ever see each other.

 _The last time you ever see each other…_ The thought echoes in your head. The possibility of never seeing Bucky again becomes more real and vivid accompanied by the regret you nursed when you said goodbye the last time.

You inhale a lungful of air, gathering the courage for what you are about to do. You walk forward, and Bucky never takes his eyes off you, wondering what you are about to do. What he does not expect is for you to tip your head and capture his lips in a simple kiss.

As he closes his eyes and reciprocates, a part of his mouth burns with the memory of another kiss you had given him once upon a time.

_After Bucky had been rescued, there were two things he never expected to happen: Steve suddenly becoming healthy and muscular thanks to a scientific experiment and you becoming a nurse of the 107 th Infantry Regiment._

_He had gone to the medical tent to get treated where he was greeted by a familiar voice._

_Yours._

_“Is this what you call being careful?” You playfully scold. Bucky turns around, and his face breaks out into his second big smile that day._

_“Joey.” He goes to you, grasping you in a hug and twirling you a little, much to the amusement and chagrin of the other nurses in the tent. You blush at the attention you and Bucky are getting._

_“Buck, people are staring,” you mutter. “And besides, you’re injured!”_

_“I don’t care doll. I’m just happy you’re here.” He sets you down, however. You then lead him to a table where you proceed to look him over, checking him for injuries and making sure his senses are still functioning correctly._

_When you finish, you say, “Well, I’ll be damned. Looks like you are capable of being careful.”_

_Bucky chuckles at your comment. “Doesn’t mean I don’t need you to patch me up anymore.”_

_“You got lucky,” you joke. But to his surprise, you lean forward and plant a small kiss on his cheek. “However, I am glad you’re alright.”_

_With that, you walk away from him, no doubt to attend to another patient in the ward. It takes a while for him to remember he can leave, the spot you kissed him tingling with warmth._

_Ever since that moment, kisses started to become to him what lollipops were to kids. Every time he returned from a mission with the Howling Commandos, he’d always ask for a kiss, no matter what condition he’d be in._

_“Why do you keep insisting?” you question him one night after a particularly hard mission had left him with bruised ribs, which you are now bandaging._

_“For good luck doll. Wouldn’t want your knight in shining armor to be without his token of affection, would you?” He flirts impishly. What he does not admit is that he enjoyed that first kiss you had given him, and it gave him hope that you were finally letting down those walls that, for some reason, you had kept up around him._

_Thus, it fills him with a sense of warmth and accomplishment when you lean forward and place a kiss on his cheek, your lips lingering for a moment longer before they leave his skin once more. He looks into your eyes and his feelings turn into sincere concern when he sees the worry there. But before he can question it, you turn away._

_From then on, you’d always give him a kiss when he came to visit you. When he suffered physical damage of any degree, you would just administer a small kiss on his forehead along with a ‘get better Bucky’. If he’d return from a mission virtually unscathed, you’d give him a peck on the cheek. But every time you did that, the two of you would find yourself frozen in some sort of staring contest as if entreating the other to give more._

_And you almost did once. It was the mission before the HYDRA train, and the Howling Commandos along with the whole regiment had been given a night off to celebrate the unbroken streak of successful missions they’ve had. You and the other nurses had been invited to the party, allowing for a night of fun._

_At the end of the night, Bucky had offered to walk you back, prompting wolf whistles from his team and a knowing glance from Steve. He shakes his head at them, taking your hand as you two leave the pub, bringing you back to camp._

_“Thank you, Buck. I had a swell time,” you admit as soon as the two of you arrive at the nurses’ quarters._

_“The pleasure was all mine doll.” He bobs a little on the balls of his feet. “Before you leave, I believe you owe me something.” He leans forward, glancing at you expectedly._

_You smile, before leaning in to give him your customary peck on the cheek. However, Bucky turns his head so that instead of kissing his cheek, you kiss the right side of his mouth._

_You reel back suddenly, your expression one of a deer in headlights. You stumble away from Bucky, and before he can call out to you once more, you disappear inside._

_Little did you know that it is the last time he would see you in a long while. The Howling Commandos had been called for a mission concerning a train rumoured to not only contain HYDRA weapons but also Armin Zola himself. He did not get the chance to talk to you before he departed with the thought that when he came back, both of you could resolve whatever had happened._

You release yourself from the kiss, stepping away and wishing him good luck. However, before you can turn away, Bucky grabs you once more and brings you to him once more, kissing you firmly as if to imprint the memory of his lips on yours.

“I didn’t want to make the same mistake,” he admits before leaving you again, your mouth agape in shock.

* * *

**V.** **See**

The battle was won. Thanos had been defeated. But there was much to do before any sort of celebration could take place. First, there was cleaning up of New York, which had been damaged again in the aftermath of the battle. Second, there was clearing Team Cap of all charges. After a long, legal battle with the help of Tony and a team of lawyers, they were pardoned. Third, there was repairing the Avengers team. Tony and Steve had a lot to work through, but they got there in the end. Steve asked Tony to forgive him for choosing one over the other rather than finding a third option as well as keeping it a secret in the first place. Tony apologized for pushing him away in the first place. Tony and Bucky, though not completely reconciled, were on the road to a better place. It took a long while, but the Avengers finally found themselves again, stronger than ever.

Soon after, it is the wedding of Tony and Pepper, which also serves as a celebration for the defeat of Thanos and the reunion of the Avengers team. On that day, you are in your room, putting the finishing touches on your makeup as you straighten out your dress. You take a deep breath and make your way to the lobby of Avengers base where a bunch of cars would take you and the rest of the team to the venue.

Bucky is busy talking to Wanda and Steve when he hears footsteps coming down the stairway. He turns around and his jaw instantly slacks. Barely registering Steve’s chuckle, he watches you descend, a smile lighting up your face.

Vaguely wondering if there had been a time when he saw you this beautiful, his mind alights upon a memory, bringing it to the surface and soon, his present surroundings disappear as he returns to his past.

_“You’ll be there, won’t you doll?” Bucky asks. You are putting away some bandages and a few other miscellaneous supplies._

_“I’m not sure, Buck. You know that parties are not my scene.” You wipe your hands on your outfit though they are spotless._

_“Make an exception this once. Please,” Bucky pleads._

_“Why? I’m sure that you’ll have plenty of pleasurable company. I heard Barbra’s been eyeing you for some time now.” You tell him, referring to one of the nurses: a pretty girl with vibrant red hair and electrifying green eyes. Bucky had seen her a few times; she had always shot him a smile every time he came to visit you. He admitted to himself she was breathtakingly gorgeous, but he just didn’t feel too keen on getting to know her more._

_Besides, as much fun as the Howling Commandos and Steve was, he wanted to take a chance to spend some time with you outside of his medical checkups._

_“It wouldn’t be the same without you, Joey. I…I would really like it if you were there,” he admits. You eye him for a long time, and Bucky gets the distinct feeling of being cross-examined. He does his best not to fidget; he wants to show how genuine he is about this invitation._

_“Fine.”_

_Bucky’s eyes light up like the 4 th of July. “Really?”_

_“Yes. Now shoo, I have to search for an outfit for tonight.”_

_“Trust me doll, you won’t regret this.”_

_“I hope so.”_

_The evening comes quickly, and Bucky is standing in the pub with Steve, both are laughing about the latest mission with the rest of the team. The door swings open and the men start talking amongst themselves as the nurses come in, all dressed up. A few of them shoot Bucky flirtatious winks and sultry smiles. Bucky responds politely, but his eyes search for just one person._

_And he finds you, one of the last to arrive, wearing a simple dress with a V neck that stopped just a few inches below your throat as the sleeves reached halfway down your arms while the skirt flowed below the knee. The colour not only highlighted your skin tone but made your eyes glow in the dim light. You were pulling on your sleeves, ducking your head continually as you looked around._

_Somewhere in Bucky’s brain, he understood that he was staring longer than what was proper, but he couldn’t help it. Over the years he’s known you, he never knew you to dress up or to put much effort in how you looked. He did not see how this could affect him so much, but seeing you now, he began to view you in a whole new light. You were more than the girl who rebuffed his attempts at flirting, more than the girl who happened to be his best friend’s sister, and more than the girl who patched him up every time he broke something. How is it he can go from knowing so much about you to wanting to know more? When did he begin to see you as something more?_

_When did he begin to fall in love with you?_

A sharp nudge to his arm brings him back to reality. Steve chuckles as his best friend finally blinks after staring at his sister for so long. “You trying to catch flies there?”

Bucky immediately picks his jaw up from the floor, rolling his eyes at Steve’s commentary. Soon, he catches your eye, and you make your way towards him, heart pounding so hard as you take him in. A navy-blue tuxedo that highlighted the color of his eyes his long hair pulled back and his beard shaved to stubble. He looks so handsome. And he’s looking at you like you are the only woman in the world.

“You look beautiful,” he admits, his cheeks a light pink.

You bite your lip, looking at him through your lashes. “You…don’t look so bad yourself,” you tease him, and he lights up inside at the comment.

“I aim to please,” he jokes, and you roll your eyes at him but give him a smile that says his efforts did not go unnoticed, much to his pleasure.

Soon, the cars arrive, and everyone heads off to the wedding of the century.

* * *

**BONUS**

**Forgive**

The wedding is a beautiful success. Tony and Pepper share a kiss as fireworks erupt in the sky. The team claps, whoops, cheers, and wolf whistles as the bride and groom walk back down the aisle.

The reception is set in the same villa Tony booked for the wedding: a ballroom with tall floor to ceiling windows that had velvet curtains as well as chandeliers that hung over a polished dance floor where Tony takes Pepper for their first dance, the DJ playing a simple slow song.

 _But when you touch me like this (touch me like this)_  
And you hold me like that (hold me like that)  
I just have to admit that it’s all coming back to me  
When I touch you like this (touch you like this)  
And I hold you like that (hold you like that)  
It’s so hard to believe, but it’s all coming back to me now

Soon, others begin to join the newly wedded couple on the dance floor: Natasha and Steve, Quill and Gamora, Thor and Jane, Clint and Laura, T’Challa and Nakia, Valkyrie and Sif…

“Joey?” Bucky asks, bowing and holding a hand out for you to take.

“Yes, Bucky?” You ask.

“Would you like to dance?”

“Depends. Who would I be dancing with?”

“Me, doll.”

You bite your lip in thought, watching in amusement as Bucky begins to fidget for being in his position for so long. “Yes,” you finally answer, laying your hand in Bucky’s calloused palm and letting him lead you to the dance floor.

You wrap your hands around his neck as his arms go around your waist. You lay your head on his shoulder, and he tugs you closer. You two sway gently to the music, enjoying this one peaceful moment that had been a long time coming.

“Joey.”

“Yes?” You ask, your voice muffled slightly from where it rested on Bucky’s shoulder.

“I love you.” You stiffen momentarily in his arms, lifting your head and looking at Bucky in shock and happiness.

“Say that again,” you ask softly.

“You didn’t hear me?”

“No. Just please, say it again.” You wanted to hear the words you had waited for nearly a century to hear from Bucky.

“Joey Rogers, I love you.” He twirls you before bringing you back into his arms. “And I’m sorry it took so long to remember.”

Once you are enfolded in his embrace once more, you answer, “I love you too Bucky Barnes. And I’m sorry I didn’t say it before.”

And with that, you both continue to dance the night away, finally in each other’s arms, knowing you finally have the rest of forever together.


End file.
